The Third Wish
by UnicornPhoenix
Summary: A new world, a new life. Akari wakes up somewhere strange after death, only to discover it's a world of an anime she hasn't watch in two decades. With nothing better to do, she joins Class 3-E and gains some assassination training, all to work towards killing their teacher. And all of this because of her third wish.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Right! So, hello, this is my Assassination Classroom fanfiction. I'm bored and need something to occupy my time that I actually have to finish by a certain deadline. Not that I'm going to have a set schedule, I'm not. My schedule is whenever the hell I feel like it. But I felt like publishing **_**something, **_**so I wrote this and am posting it. If you want to know what to call me, it's Unicorn. Just Unicorn. Or UnicornPhoenix if you're boring and want to write out the whole thing, but just Unicorn or even Uni is fine. So yeah. Please read, review, and check out my Fairy Tail oneshot if you watch FT. But not my other one, that one sucks and was abandoned. Enjoy! And Happy Holidays.**

**Day first published: 12/23/19**

**Chapter One**

I screamed when I felt the knife pierce through my chest, tears streaming down my face as I choked from the sudden inability to breathe. I stumbled back, eyes wide and staring at the man in front of me. _Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, I'm gonna die, I'm so gonna die, I'm so gonna die… _

I panicked when I realized this, and was only vaguely aware of the knife going across my throat and my bag being taken. I heard footsteps, but I blacked out before I could process anything else.

I thought I was dead, but then I suddenly shot up out of bed with tears still streaming down my face from the shock of it. I breathed raggedly, eyes darting around rapidly, trying to gauge where I was. I sure as hell wasn't in my house, or a hospital. I was in a room with bunk beds lining the walls, around six people could fit in total. I was on the bottom bunk of the bed closest to the door, standing right of it.

I shakily swung my legs over the edge of the bed, but when I tried to stand, I found that I was _much _shorter than I was before. _What the hell…? _

I looked down to find my legs shorter and the floor much closer than it should be. My eyebrows furrowed and I saw my hair fall in front of my face, only it wasn't my hair. I picked at the strands; hot pink. _I've never dyed my hair in my life, why is it suddenly bright pink? _

I slowly got to my feet, one hand on the wall to keep my balance, and shuffled out of the room awkwardly. I heard screaming children downstairs but ignored it, opting to enter the doorway to my left. When I got inside, I saw a bathroom, with a simple toilet and tub, nothing special. Clearly, whoever's house this is isn't some rich guy. And judging by the children downstairs, I wasn't kidnapped by some gang, which is good.

My fingers fumbled for the light switch, and once I finally found it and turned the light on, I had to blink away the sudden brightness. Once I got my bearings, I moved over to the mirror on the top of the sink. I peered into my reflection, but once I processed what I saw, I blanched, stumbling back in confusion and shock.

For one thing, everything was animated, and I had no idea how I didn't realize that before. Everything was way brighter too, the colors blinding. If you didn't focus, it seemed completely natural, but if you really did, all of a sudden it made zero sense. My reflection's eyes were widened comically, too, like in some anime. But that wasn't exactly the worst of my shock.

I looked _nothing _like myself.

I was about a two decades younger than I had been, going from thirty to maybe ten or eleven. My previously dull, straight, and flat brown hair that refused to do anything but lay down was gone, replaced by hot pink, soft locks that looked like they could look good no matter what you did with them. The blank, staring black eyes that had freaked out anybody if I stared long enough had disappear, instead becoming bright pink cheerful orbs that could make anybody happier if they looked into them long enough. My acne-scarred facial features had been replaced with soft skin that probably hadn't experienced blemishes ever, and was clear as glass.

I was _beautiful, _and it freaked me out.

I swallowed, choosing to ignore that, and headed back to the room I had materialized in, shutting the lights off absentmindedly as I went. Once I got back to the room, I turned to the bunk I had been laying in, instantly finding a small, tattered brown backpack sitting next to the bed. I made my way over to it, opening the bag with my newly smaller fingers and find a few things inside.

One was a watch, which didn't look like anything special at all but once I looked at it closer, I saw that there was a little opening panel on the inside that revealed a tiny meter thing. On the top, it said 30 Years Old, and on the bottom it was marked 12 Years Old. I had no idea what that meant, but I saw that the meter was filled up to the 30 mark. I shrugged and snapped it on, continuing to shuffle through the items in the bag.

Underneath that, I found a leather bound notebook. It was beautiful, just black, not anything special, but I felt like it was important. There was a pen attached to it and a strip of leather that could keep it closed. Opening it, I found that there were pages and pages of line paper. There was a matching one underneath it, only this one was a different shade of brown and had no lined paper, just blank pages. It was a sketchbook, which also had colored pencils and pens in a pack next to it for sketching and drawing. I put those to the side and continued looking through.

I felt my stomach drop when I pulled out a knife. My hand shook as I held it in my hands. It had a leather handle and a leather sheath, and when I pulled it out of the sheath I saw a blade that had beautiful markings lining both sides, fading out quickly before they reached the tip. The sheath had equally beautiful markings. It was double-edged, and l felt a strange connection to it. It felt like it was _mine _somehow, but after what had happened when I got stabbed, it kind of scared me too, so I quickly sheathed it again and went back to the bag.

The next thing I pulled out almost made me more scared. There was a gun. An actually freaking _gun. _In what I'm assuming was _my _backpack. It was a silver handgun, along with ammo for it. There was also a matching silver revolver, with more ammo for that. I could see my reflection in both, and surprisingly, I didn't freak at the sight of them. I just stared for a bit, heart pounding. Maybe a minor freak-out, but not too bad.

The next thing I found were leather gloves, perfectly fitting to my hands. Along with them was an all-black outfit that was fit for an assassin, and some black heeled boots. In a tiny zip-lock bag I also found some tiny earrings, and when I reached up to my ears I found that my ears were pierced and I could put on the earrings, but didn't.

Underneath all of this, at the very bottom of the tiny backpack, was a little note folded into a square. I unfolded it slowly, and read it with wide eyes.

_Dear child,_

_No doubt you are very confused as of now. I do not blame you. But, you should know that this is your third wish. Your time has come. You will find a locket around your neck. It has your new name on it, as well as your age. Speaking of your age, that watch's second compartment measures your mental state, or how old you are mentally. It will go down until you reach the mental age of your physical body._

_Welcome to the world of assassins, child. There is no going back._

_A Random Godly Entity _

I blinked in confusion at it, then looked down at myself. For the first time, I noticed what I was wearing. Black ripped jeans that did not fit my new age at all and were _way _too fitted, a black shirt that had a knot tied at the bottom, and plain worn down black sneakers. The silver locket around my neck did have a name engraved on it. _Akari. _And on the inside, a tiny note that told me it was my twelfth birthday was encased.

I sighed and sat on the bed slowly, sinking down into the hard mattress. Looking back at the folded note, I thought long and hard about what it meant. _Third wish…? _

Then, it hit me.

* * *

"_Um, so, what is this?" a twelve-year-old brunette asked the smoke in front of her on her birthday._

"_I am a random godly entity, and I am here to grant your three wishes for no apparent reason," the smoke replied, voice devoid of all emotion._

"_O...kay? Um, well, first, I wish to be, like, a genius. I can understand anything, or do anything, really easily or something."_

"_Granted," the smoke intoned, voice still cold._

"_Uhhh, I wanna, like, be pretty? Wait, no, scratch that, I want to be able to change my appearance, with no limits. So I could grow tentacles like Koro-sensei in Assassination Classroom! Or I could turn into a cat or a table or anything, just as long as I can imagine it. So, shape shifting, essentially," the young girl's dull, staring eyes lit up at the mention of her favorite anime._

"_Granted," the smoke intoned once again._

"_And for my last one, I wanna join the world of Assassination Classroom when I die! Yeah, that'd be awesome. Oh, oh! And my new wishes can start happening once I'm there. So, I can use 'em once I'm dead and in the anime world!" she exclaimed excitedly, eyes bright._

"_The third wish is granted. We shall meet again, young one, in the afterlife. Good luck," and, for once, the voice did have emotion. The gender less voice sounded… kind, almost. A nice change._

"'_Kay!" the girl said, happy as ever._

_The smoke disappeared, and the girl looked around her room, blinking at the sudden absence of the smoky entity. She furrowed her brows, looking around, before the light in her eyes dimmed. "Oh. Just a dream then. Too bad… it sounded nice," she murmured, before rolling around to go back to sleep._

_She never thought about that night again. _

* * *

I blinked slowly, staring down at the note. My eyebrow twitched, _How the hell could I forget that?! _

I was somewhat confused as to what I should've been feeling. I had forgotten almost every detail about Assassination Classroom other than the fact that there was a giant yellow octopus threatening to destroy the world, and that it was happening in class 3-E of Kunugigaoka Junior High.

That was literally it.

I sighed, but suddenly I heard a loud childish shriek, followed by young laughter. My head turned towards the doorway, _Um, so, where am I? _

After packing up the bag and making sure that the weapons were all the way at the bottom, I made my way down the stairs.

I almost tripped on one of the steps, but managed to keep my balance. Once I got down there, I saw children running around happily. It looked like a little daycare, with bright colors and kids everywhere. There was an old woman smiling warmly at the children running about, and her eyes slowly made their way over to me. Her smile dimmed slightly when they landed on my form on the stairs. She got up and made her way over to me slowly, and once she got to me, she started talking, "There you are, child, you've been asleep for much too long. How are you feeling, dearie?"

I swallowed, "S-sorry, ma'am, but w-where am I?" My voice cracked slightly on the words, and her eyes softened.

"You're at an orphanage, child. We found you passed out on the street two days ago, you've been asleep ever since. What happened?"

I looked up at her, thinking. _What do I tell her? _Eventually, I just decided to go with the whole memory loss thing. "I-I don't know."

"What's your name?"

"A-Akari."

"Your family name?"

I furrowed my brow, "I don't think I have one. O-or, if I do, I don't remember it. I-I don't remember anything."

She nodded slowly, "Well, welcome to the orphanage, I suppose. You'll have to begin attending school soon, and it is the beginning of the year, but first we should get you caught up on the subjects here. Or perhaps we could just home school you," she tapped her chin, deep in thought, and I just fidgeted uncomfortably, "Yes, I believe you will just be home schooled."

I nodded at her, and she introduced me to the rest of the children, before calling over one of the younger employees and asking him to tutor me for the rest of the day. We quickly found that everything was simple for me, so we moved up the grades of math at a rapid pace. Since I had lost my memory, they had just assumed that my intelligence wouldn't be as it should be, but I was fine. Once we got to my age, he slowed down and started to teach me what it had at a watered down pace. Then, we moved onto other subjects, which I found more difficult. Like Japanese. I wasn't Japanese before, I wasn't even Asian. I was Canadian. I spoke English and a bit of French, maybe some slight Spanish. I think the Mysterious Godly Entity made me fluent in speaking Japanese, but not writing it.

I was tutored most heavily in that and history. Science, Math, and English were easiest for me, so I didn't need much help with that. I didn't need much help with anything though, thanks to my magical understanding.

I never touched the knife, or my guns. I used the sketchbook daily, and the notebook occasionally, to write down random stuff. I got a job too, at a cafe, so I could pay for school supplies and things. I also experimented with my shape shifting, and found that I could, indeed, changed into anything. It took a lot of my energy, but the more I did it, the easier it got.

Before I knew it, the days had flown by, blurring into weeks, then months. Soon, I was applying for Kunugigaoka Junior High, and as expected, I got accepted. My tutor, Ito, and the woman in charge, Tanaka, were both really proud of me, and the children were super excited. That day was wonderful, and it held a lot of laughs and smiles.

Soon enough, it was my first day at Kunugigaoka, and I was standing at the front gates among all of the bustling students. Steeling my shoulders, I walked through the door.

_Assassination Classroom, here I come._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** **So… I do realize that this is right after my first chapter but I really don't care. I got excited, okay? Writing is fun, and starting a new one is more fun. This has Karma and Nagisa introduced, and Asano but he's irrelevant. Now for reviews, even though the only people who bothered were people I already know:**

**KarlaCipher: I know, it's amazing. Thanks Karla-chan. (I beta one of her stories, we're friends, go check it out. Second Chance To Life. BTW you owe me for that now.)**

**I Live Fairy Tail: Thanks twin! No, there was no other reason. The godly entity was bored, that's all there is to it. And you're a great writer too. (Go check out hers too, they're great. Again, owe me.)**

**Well, enjoy, peeps!**

**First published: 12/23/19 (technically the 24th, 'cause it's like 11:48, but whatever.)**

**Chapter Two**

Kunugigaoka was suffocating.

That was the only word I could think of to describe it. I had made it into A-class, which only made it worse.

I was thought to be one of the top students in the school, which made me one of the top students in the country, which was _suffocating. _

The amount of studying and homework given gave me a headache. Anybody without my genius status would buckle under the pressure of being number one. I understood it all perfectly, not only because I had done it all before but also because I was super smart now, and I was still subjected to late nights of studying and homework.

All of the A-class students were ruthless, nobody had any real friends, and everybody was competing. Constant competition. Don't even get me started on the future Big Five. They're all geniuses, and they were neither reincarnated nor made any wishes for ingenuity. Much as I hated to admit it, I had a healthy dose of respect for them due to that fact.

But this is all besides the point. I'm getting to the part where I met Karma and Nagisa.

It was somewhere in the middle of my first year at Kunugigaoka. I was heading over to the local library for some last minute studying on a test that I had the next day (genius or not, I still needed to know the material), when I was cornered into an alleyway. I swallowed lightly, looking up at the thugs who had gotten me in a tight spot with a tiny amount of fear.

I went over my list of options rapidly, soon finding I had… literally nothing. I couldn't fight them, because they were a bunch of high schoolers. I couldn't fight high schoolers, hell I probably couldn't even fight a second year middle schooler. I couldn't shapeshift into something menacing because I didn't want anybody to find out about that, not to mention I could barely use it at all by that point.

I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, when the guy in front started speaking, "Hey pretty girl, wanna come 'n play wit' us? You seem like yer free, c'mon, let's go have some fun."

I swallowed, backing up into the wall shakily. I felt the cold surface meet my back, and almost jumped if it wasn't for the delinquent hovering above me.

"Well, how 'bout it little girl? Wanna go play?" he sneered at me with sick satisfaction and moved closer. I suddenly remembered when I was killed, the knife, being cornered just like this, _pain pain pain. _I felt my knees shake. _No no no. _

"Well heya fellas." The voice cut through the tension, confident and cocky, and it just managed to pull me out of my funk. My head turned along with the thugs to see none other than Karma Akabane, with Nagisa Shiota right next to him. I blinked at them a bit in surprise, sliding down the wall to sit on my butt. "I was looking for some fun. Come here then, let's dance."

The thugs growled and made fists threateningly at him, but one did stay behind with me, "You ain't goin' anywhere, girlie."

I swallowed, looking up at him through the corner of my eye. _Well… I can't fight highschoolers… but maybe I could take one? _

Regarding him with a scrutinizing gaze, I tried to ignore the fist fight in front of me and got to my feet. "Don' even think of runnin' you little brat." I looked to Karma's fight, and before I could do anything to actually get the guy next to me down, he grabbed me by the scruff of my shirt and pulled my up, almost choking me in the process, "Hey brat. You get outta 'ere, or I punch this little girls' lights out."

Karma actually looked concerned for a moment, and Nagisa looked hella worried. "Um, Karma, what're you going to-"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it," he cut Nagisa off, cocky as ever, and I felt my eye twitch. _Oh no, _I'll _take care of it._

In my best pathetic schoolgirl voice, I choked out, "Um, mister, c-could you let go? I c-can't b-breathe."

He dropped me with a sneer, but I grabbed his arm as I went down and jumped onto his back, pulling him and myself backwards. I flipped back before I could hit the ground, and landed on my butt with an _oomph. _

The thug got up easily, which hurt my pride a bit, and said in a dark voice, "You little brat, I'll-" he never finished his sentence, because Karma had come up behind him and started beating him to a pulp. I sweatdropped and crawled my way over to Nagisa, pulling my bag with me along the way.

"Um… is he gonna… stop?" I asked hesitantly, stopping beside him and getting to my feet.

"In a bit," he replied, sweatdropping with me.

Eventually he did stop, and made his way over to us, ignoring the bruising bodies behind him. "Well, that's that. Kind of boring, they were too easy," he said in an easygoing tone.

I sweatdropped again, but cleared my throat nonetheless. He turned to look at me, "Oh hey, you're one of those big shot A-Class bitches. How's it feel being saved by a lowly peasant?"

I blinked. _Is that what the lower classes think of me? _"Uh, I'm not aware of the significance of those words, but thank you anyway, Akabane-san."

He raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean you don't know? You're _better _than us remember, how about you set an _example_, big shot."

My eyebrows furrowed. When had I ever said anything that made me seem arrogant? "I don't recall ever stating that I was superior to you or Shiota-san, but if I did, I apologize for being arrogant."

Karma scoffed, "You're acting better than us right now, Tanaka-san. Got any more big words to spout or are you done?" I took Tanaka's name, if you're wondering.

Realization hit me; I _was _acting better. I was using big phrases and long words because I was at the top, and I hadn't even noticed. I bit my lip, deep in thought and completely unaware of the skeptical looks Karma was giving me. _Have I really been acting egotistical ever since joining A-Class? _Once I questioned it, I realized I had. Being at the top was nice, to be honest. I didn't approve of the system, but I still ended up fitting into it perfectly. I hadn't bothered speaking to anybody of the lower classes since joining A-Class, and while I never spoke to anyone in my class either, we were so divided that nobody could tell. It was perfectly reasonable that someone would assume that I thought myself better.

"Um, hello? Tanaka-san? Are you still in there?" I was brought back to my senses when a dainty hand waved itself in front of my face, and I turned to see Nagisa looking at me, slightly worried. I turned to Karma, who just looked confused.

"Well, I apol- I mean, I'm sorry if it seemed that way, Akabane-san. I didn't know I came of as believing myself to be better." I bowed and turned, "Well, good day to you both. I need to study for a test I have tomorrow."

They both looked after me curiously, and once I was out of earshot, Karma turned to Nagisa, "Strange girl, isn't she?"

Nagisa nodded, "I don't think you should have talked to her like that though, Karma. She really did seem like she regretted it when she apologized, I don't actually think she knew she was doing it."

Karma looked thoughtful, "Maybe, but it did knock some sense into her, didn't it?" He shrugged, and the two of them were off.

* * *

A couple of days later, I was going to a McDonalds so I could escape the kids back at home. They were endearing, but I was honestly getting sick of them. How much screaming children could one take before it got annoying? Not much, in my case.

I was just getting off the line when I heard a voice to my left, "Stalking us, are we, Tanaka-san?"

I looked down in the direction of the voice to see Karma and Nagisa sitting there, staring up at me. Karma looked smug, as usual, and Nagisa looked apologetic.

"No, not really. Just happened to be here at the same time, I guess." I looked around the fast-food joint, looking for a free seat, and found absolutely none. _Well great. _

"Having trouble?" the smug bastard to my left mocked, and I felt my eye twitch. _Oh joy, now he's mocking me. Well, two can play that game. _

"Yes I suppose I am. Mind if I sit here? Thanks, I appreciate it," I invited myself without giving him a chance to respond. I plopped down next to Nagisa and started eating as if nothing had happened. I looked up at their shocked faces, and gestured to their food, "Well, don't let me top you from eating. Go on, pretend I'm not here." I bit off the end of a fry smugly.

Nagisa started to eat slowly, as if afraid of what was going to happen next, and I just kept chomping away and my burger and fries. Karma just looked irritated. _Good, now you know how I feel. _

"Just inviting yourself on a date with two guys, Tanaka-chan? That's ballsy, didn't know you had it in you."

My eye twitched again as Nagisa cried out in surprise and embarrassment. "Karma!"

"It isn't a date, but if you're asking me out on one I'm afraid I'll have to decline," I grit out, but I could tell from the look on his face that he knew he'd won.

"Oh, I wasn't asking. I was-"

"Oh, just demanding then?" I cut him off, glaring, "Well, it's a no all the same, Akabane-san."

Now _he _was the irritated one, "No, actually, I wasn't asking - _or demanding -_ you on a date at all, Tanaka-san, I was-"

"Well, well, well," I heard Asano's smug voice and groaned internally, "I didn't realize that you were in a relationship with these two, Tanaka-san. You on a date?"

This time I groaned aloud and let my head fall onto the table in exhaustion, much to everybody's surprise, "Oh great, now there's two of them."

"Two of what?" Asano asked tentatively.

I lifted my head and glared at him, "Smug bastards with grades too high than they deserve." Asano was enraged, but I cut him off before he could say anything else, "Drop it, Asano-san, I don't feel like dealing with this right now. I should've just dealt with the little brats instead of going out for a bite to eat, why, oh why did I decide to leave again," I muttered the last part to myself in irritation.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. What, mommy wake you up too early?" Karma teased, but I almost literally grinned triumphantly, _Yes, something I can use! _

I glared at him in mock anger, "I don't _have _parents, Akabane-san. I'm an orphan and I live in an orphanage." And with that, I threw out my food and pranced out of there, bumping shoulders with Asano roughly on the way out.

"Hey! What makes you think you can-" Asano started shouting out.

"I don't think, I know," I called over my shoulder, flipping him off as I left. _Damn, that was stupid, but hey, it felt good. I'm gonna get hell for it in school tomorrow though. _I shrugged to myself, _well, cross that bridge when I get to it!_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm updating way too often, this isn't normal. At some point I'll be inactive for a week and you're going to think I'm dead or something XD. But anyway, here's chapter three. I've already gotten chapter four started, so it won't be too long yet!**

**KarlaCipher: Yeah, fine. Sure, you don't owe me anything… for now. Asano is always a smug bitch, he just becomes less relevant about it later on.**

**4PhoenixFeathers: Her name is Akari, and you're right, I did make that tiny little screw up. Oops. As for Akari's arrogant comment, it was different. Before she was acting condescending, like "I'm better than you, you're not worth my time, scum" and at McDonalds she was more "Screw you people, I don't give a crap about anything." So still arrogant, but differently. Oh, and sorry for not waiting for you to beta this chapter, I'm impatient.**

**I Live Fairy Tail: You owe me your soul.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter** **Three**

I walked down the street on the way back to the orphanage with a sigh. It was way too far away, in my opinion. Granted, that was why I had chosen to go to this McDonalds, but still.

I put my hands behind my head casually, when I noticed a strange man in an alleyway who looked somewhat familiar. I furrowed my eyebrows and walked over to him cautiously. _I wonder… _

Sure enough, when I got there, I saw Lovro. _Well this is unexpected. _I just sort of blinked at him, and he just sort of blinked at me, before he broke the silence with his heavy accent, "Well, I must be going."

I moved before I could think through it properly, grabbing onto his jacket sleeve, "Wait! You're Lovro-san, right? The assassin?" I winced, realizing what I just said couldn't be a good thing in any setting. If he was Lovro, then he would be _very _suspicious as to how I knew that, and if he wasn't, there was a thirteen-year-old asking about assassins. Not so great.

He turned, looking at me with a critical eye, and I stepped back, letting go of his sleeve and getting out of range warily. "Who wants to know?" he asked, accent as prominent as ever, and I let out a breath. _Okay, so he isn't just going to attack me. _

"My name is Akari, and I was - well, I was just wondering if you could give me basic assassin training?" I asked quietly, but seeing the skeptical look on his face I quickly continued, "I-I mean, not like, that big but I wanna know how to do it and stuff. M-maybe you could, like, tutor me whenever you're in the area or something?" I asked hopefully.

He looked down on me, face unreadable, and said, "What makes you think you have it in you to be an assassin, child?"

I swallowed and took my bag off my back, which I had been carrying with me the whole time. I reached down to the bottom and took out the knife I had hidden there. The guns could wait, I'm pretty sure it would be illegal for me to have those. Best be safe.

His gaze strayed to the knife and stayed there, staring at it in complete surprise. He moved to take it, but I moved it away from him. He looked back up at me, "Tutor me, please?" I asked, more hope that before, "I want to learn how to use it."

Lovro regarded me with a critical eye, but eventually nodded and sighed, "Fine then, child. I will tutor you. We can start tomorrow. I have some… business to attend to here. Meet in me this alleyway at 5 sharp tomorrow." and he left.

I let out the breath I was holding and put the knife in my bag shakily. _That was nerve-racking… _I went home, thoughts occupied with what I just did and second-guessing it constantly. _Seriously, why the hell did I do that?! _

I sighed as I entered the orphanage, putting a brave face on and calling out, "I'm home!"

Five colorful bullets shot towards me at lightning speed, and it took all my strength not to drop them or fall over myself.

There was Eichi, an adorable little three year old boy. He was the purple bullet; his bright violet hair making a blur.

Then there was Hediko, a little six year old girl with blonde hair. She was foreign, but she had no name when they got her so they just gave her a Japanese one.

Then Arata, a five year old boy with green hair and so much boundless energy I thought he was going to self-combust sometimes.

Aiko, 10 years old and acted so self-centered I was worried she'd end up like Asano. She's cute, but the little orange bullet was too smart for her own good. Weirdly enough, apparently she hadn't been like this before I showed up, but no matter.

And last but not least, we have, Ayako, a seven year old girl who can barely say three words before stuttering out. She's adorable, but way too shy. I'm trying to work her out of it.

So anyway, four of them came rushing at me, and Aiko walked in, nose high in the air, and pretended not to be absolutely thrilled that I was back, "Took you long enough, Akari-sensei." Oh, yeah, and I tutor her. She's started calling me sensei.

I choked, "Guys… can't-breathe." They got off reluctantly and I took big, deep breaths that were way too dramatic to actually be real, but they giggled so it was worth it. "You little devils are going to kill me one day!" I glared mockingly but got up, picking Eichi up as I went.

"Hey, Tanaka-san," I called out, walking to the kitchen with Eichi in my arms and a line of children trailing after me. "What's for dinner, _Oma_?" Oma means grandma in German; though I lived in Canada before I died, I was German, French and Canadian too. So I spoke a lot of languages. Not to mention, I also was an otaku in my younger years, leading me to study Japanese. So, yeah. Lot's of languages.

"Just sushi, dear. Nothing special," the old woman responded, turning to me with a crinkly smile, "Welcome home, Akari-chan."

"Yeah, nice to see you," a cheery voice sounded from the other doorway, and I turned to see Ito standing there with a big grin. He was always smiling, I realized that early on. There was young laughter and shrieking behind him, sounds of the children in the play area. The five who were crowded around me were just the ones who had grown attached. "See the whole gang is following its queen, as per usual."

I nodded solemnly, "Well, yes, of course. If we want to take over the world, they must make sure to have an intelligent leader, naturally. I am the only option-"

"Hey!" Aiko cut in, irritated, "I am more than qualified to-"

"Oh, shut it, Aiko-chan," Ayako interrupted, "You're not any more qualified than Eichi-kun!"

All heads turned to said baby boy, who was drooling with his thumb in his mouth. At the sudden attention, he grinned, "Hi!"

Aiko grit her teeth, head snapping to Ayako, "I am _not _less qualified than that little brat! I could be a queen if I felt like it!"

Hediko snorted and bowed mockingly, swinging her arm out with gusto, "Oh mighty queen, I pledge my loyalty. Please show us your ways, O wondrous-"

Aiko slapped her hand away, face red with anger, "Don't mock me you little-"

"Hey! Let's settle this in the play room!" Arata said excitedly, eyes alight and jumping up and down with boundless energy, "We can ask the other children what _they _think! Who should be queen of the orphanage, Hediko, Aiko, or Ayako! Come on, let's go guys!"

They all nodded decidedly, running into the playroom. More shouting sounded, and I let Eichi down, nudging him to join the other boys and girls. I sighed, watching the chaos unfolding in the other room, "They are much too sassy for their age," I commented, "I think Aiko-chan is a bad influence."

Ito snorted, "Yeah, sure, _she's _the bad influence."

I glared at him, "Oh, don't you have a job to do? Go on, round up the brats." He laughed at me, but followed the kids in anyway.

Shrugging off my sweater, I started up the stairs, "Hey, _oma, _I'm going to start my weekend homework now, okay? Call me down for dinner." I heard a faint "okay dear" before I shut the door to the group girls bedroom.

Sitting down on the rickety bed, I pulled out my English homework (what, did you think I was lying? I do believe I mentioned the insane amount of homework given at some point) and started flying through assignment after assignment. Soon I had finished ¾ of the homework I had been given for the weekend and I was being called down to eat.

Closing the textbook, I stretched my arms over my head, hearing my shoulders pop. With a sigh, I shuffled the book into my bag and made my way down the stairs to the dinner table.

Sitting down in my usual place with Aiko and Arata on either side of me, I turned to Aiko with a little smile, "So, how have your studies been going as of late, Aiko-chan?" I asked kindly.

She turned to me, serious as ever, and responded, "They're fine, but you haven't been teaching me much lately, Akari-sensei. I'm falling behind."

I nodded apologetically, "Sorry, but the curriculum at Kunugigaoka is really hardcore. I've spent the whole time I've been back today working on my homework, and I'm still not finished. It's he- er, really irritating."

She frowned, but it honestly looked more like a pout, "But Akari-sensei, I need your help. Can you maybe tutor me tomorrow?" she asked hopefully, looking up at me with her puppy dog eyes and I fought back the urge to gather her up in a tight hug and never let go.

"Maybe, but I'm going out really early to meet some… friends, for a study session."

Tanaka had just come into the room with the sushi, and commented on my statement, "Well, it's nice to hear that you're making friends, Akari-chan, but really, you should help Aiko-chan with her homework."

I bit my lip, "Sorry, _oma_. I'll try to get back early enough to give her some tutelage."

Tanaka gave me a smile, one of those nice grandmother ones that had her eyes crinkling at the edges. "That's my girl."

Later that night, while I was lying in bed, I thought over what had happened earlier with Asano and Karma, and I… cringed.

It was so _stupid, _but I was really out of it. The old me would never have done something like that, but being younger seemed to mess with my head a ton.

Holding my watch up to my face, I flipped the lid and looked at the age meter. There were three different measuring parts, one being actual physical age, one being mental age, and one being self control. The self control I'm assuming meant how prone I was to emotional outbursts, and I was frustrated to find that the meter was really low, somewhere between 10 and 11. My physical age was thirteen, so that was really low.

Sighing, I flipped it back closed and shut my eyes drifting off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, I woke at 4:00. I fumbled for my clothes, barely managing to get the assassins outfit on through my yawning. I blinked away the sleep in my eyes, squinting at the time while I hopped to shuffle a boot onto my foot. 4:33. Swearing quietly, I moved faster, getting my clothes on and packing my bag messily before running down the stairs. On my way down, I cursed again and had to run back up, tripping on a step on my way. I had forgotten to put my hair up and get my leather jacket. I was going full goth for this, and I was hella proud of it.

Grabbing the jacket and my keys, I went rushing again, but paused on my way out the door. I hurried back up, grabbed the earrings I had found in my bag at the beginning and taking way more time than was necessary to put them on. I don't know _why _I felt the need to wear them, but I did.

Finally, _finally, _I made it out the door, running down the street and checking the time as I went. Swearing at how close I was cutting it, I picked up the pace, putting up my hair as I went. 4:49. I tripped, which was to be expected, considering I was running in heeled boots.

"Owww," I groaned, getting up slowly, and examining my scraped hands. _Hmm, maybe I should have worn those gloves… _My thoughts were cut off when I turned my hands over and saw the time on my watch. 4:56. _Damn it! _I got up and started running, skidding to a stop when I found the alleyway. My breathing was ragged, and I entered the space between the buildings shakily.

"You are late." A Russian accent cut through the tension and I cursed in my mind, checking my watch. 5:01. I scowled up at where he had just emerged from the shadows.

"Yeah, by one minute! That's hardly-"

"Do not speak back to me, child. You are lucky I have decided to do this at all."

I flinched, but nodded. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." I had to fight to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.

"Come." He motioned for me to follow him, and I did so. We moved through the city, the sun starting to rise. I quietly opened my bag as we went, taking out my black fingerless gloves. The ones I was given by the mysterious being were nice and all, but I liked fingerless ones better.

Suddenly, Lovro came to a stop and opened a trapdoor in the middle of the street. I swallowed, then followed him down the stairs that opened up. When we got to the bottom, there was a little secret training base type thing, with targets and dummies and stuff. I looked around in awe but was soon called to attention by Lovro. I turned to him, "Sorry."

"Let me see that knife you showed me yesterday," he asked, holding a gloved hand out. I kneeled to the ground, unzipping my tiny backpack and taking out the knife. I walked over and placed it in his palm. He turned it over, examining it on all sides, before saying, "This is a good blade. Where did you find it?"

I hesitated before answering, "I do not know. I woke up a little over a year ago in and orphanage and that was in my bag." I made my way back to my backpack, reaching inside, "Along with these," I pulled out the two guns and his eyes sharpened, looking at them with a critical eye. After a while, he sighed and threw the knife to me. I barely managed to catch it, but dropped the two firearms in the process. I picked them up hesitantly and stood, looking to him for instructions.

"Well, child. I will teach you how to become an assassin. But anything you might need you must get yourself, except for the practice guns and fake knives I already own. Got that?"

I nodded excitedly, and we begun. He taught me basic knife moves and slashes, how to use the knife without cutting myself, and other useful tips. Before I knew it, the time had flown by, and when I checked my watch it read 5:27 PM. I swore.

"I got to go now, sorry Lovro-sensei. When do I meet you again?" I asked, rushing to pack up my things.

"I suppose tomorrow at 6:00 PM would be fine," he mused, "We might be a while. Don't be late."

I nodded, waving goodbye as I ran home as fast as I could.

Shuffling inside as quickly as I could and hanging my jacket, I snuck into the kitchen to see Tanaka there waiting with a disapproving expression on her face. I winced.

"You've been out all day, Akari-chan! I was worried sick when I woke up, you didn't even leave a note!" she exclaimed, and I just nodded.

"Sorry, _oma_," I said, and I meant it, "I didn't mean to worry you."

She sighed, "Well, I suppose it's fine. Aiko-chan is waiting upstairs, trying to do her homework. Go and help her."

I nodded and hurried up, barely hearing her shout "And change into something less black!" before I reached the top.

Rushing into the room, I saw Aiko on her bunk with her book opened in front of her, eyebrows furrowed and tongue between her teeth as she tried to make sense of what she was reading.

"Hey, kid," I said, making my way over to her and kneeling on the ground beside her bed. "What're you studying?"

"Where were you?" she asked stubbornly, completely disregarding my question, "And I'm only three years younger than you, I'm not a kid!"

I chuckled, ruffling her hair and turning to the book, "Ah, fractions. What's got your face all scrunched up like that?"

Aiko blushed and looked down, "Nothing does! I know it fine!"

A smile threatened to pull at my lips and I looked down at the book. "Multiplication and Division, eh? Well, see here. With multiplication you just-"

"I _know _that!" she cut in, irritated. "I _know _how to multiply fractions just fine. The division is just… hard." she muttered the last part, embarrassed.

I nodded, understanding. "Well, see here. You want to do this, you'll need to…" And I spent the next hour or so tutoring her on anything she seemed to need help with pertaining to her schoolwork.

Eventually, though, we were called down for dinner. The meal went by in a blur, where I laughed and smiled to all my little adopted siblings.

I smiled affectionately at something Arata said, his own face beaming up at everybody, eyes twinkling. _You know, _I thought, _This new life… isn't so bad. _


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: See? I'm doing this **_**way **_**too fast. But hey, at least you're getting chapters, right?**

**KarlaCipher: I try, I really do try.**

**I Live Fairy Tail: Karma has my soul too, and you can't do anything about **_**that, **_**so ha. And yes, it is sweet. Let it never be said that I cannot write anything other than death, because I can. Just not as often XD.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter Four**

The next day, at school, I avoided Asano like the plague. Peeping around corners, I must have looked like some creeper who didn't want her crush to notice them, but it's not like I could do much about it. There was _no way _I was letting that self-important jerk make me apologize.

Once lunch came, I bolted out of class as fast as I possibly could, running down to the cafeteria. After I got my lunch, I spotted Asano looking around for me and immediately hid behind a doorway, breathing heavily. I considered for a moment using my shapeshifting abilities, but disregarded it; I knew that there were cameras all over the school, and it wouldn't do for the principal to be aware of what I could do.

Peeking out, I noticed Asano going to the other side of the cafeteria and let out a breath, finally walking back into the room and looking for an empty seat. When I saw him turning back in my direction, however, I darted to a table in the corner which, unfortunately, was where Karma and Nagisa were sitting. They both regarded me with mild surprise, but Karma got over it quickly.

"So, you really are stalking us, aren't cha, Takeda-san?" he said, laid back as ever, but I quickly ducked my head so Asano couldn't see me when he looked over, eating silently and occasionally peeking out at him. "Hey, what's wrong, Tak-"

"Shhhhhh!" I hissed, risking raising my head for a moment to see that he was sitting down with his circle of flunkies, back to me. I let out a breath, leaning back in relief. "Oh thank god, he gave up."

"Uh, what are you doing?" Nagisa asked with a raised brow, looking to me for an explanation. I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly.

"Sorry, I'm avoiding Asano-san. No _way _I'm letting him chew me out for what happened the other day- why is everybody staring?" I questioned, noticing the stares of the students around us.

"The queen of A-Class is sitting with a bunch of D-Class nobodies, of course they're staring," Karma said with his usual smug smirk, "So, what are you going to do now, princess? Go back to your prestigious besties back in A or stay with the losers over here?"

"Actually, I was planning to go and find a nice spot _alone, _but all the empty seats are by Asano-san and his band of evil geniuses, so I think I'll stay with the losers, thanks," I replied, craning my neck to look for unoccupied seats and cursing internally when I found none.

Karma smirked at me, and I looked at him in dread, _Here we go, the never-ending teasing. _"Admit it, you wanted to sit with us from the beginning. After all, you have been stalking Nagisa and I for a few days now."

My eye twitched and I grit my teeth, "I have _not _been stalking you, for one thing, and for another, I was just trying to avoid Asano-san, the prick. Why do you have to-"

Karma hummed, cutting me off with his usual sass, "Actually Taneka-san, you should apologize for the other day to _me _too. After all, you did flip both Nagisa and I off when you left. You owe the two of us an apology."

I sighed, "For the record, that was aimed more at Asano-san than at you, but sorry anyways, Shiota-san." I apologized, and Nagisa just nodded, looking uncomfortable. I turned back to Karma, a shit-eating grin on my face, "I will _not _apologize to _you _however, Akabane-san."

"And why is that?"

"Because you deserved it," I retorted, turning back to my food and shoveling it in my face. "Besides," I continued once I had swallowed, "_You _made that rude comment about my parents."

"And yet you didn't seem all that upset about it," he challenged, a glint in his eyes that I couldn't quite place. "Tell me, Takeda-san, why is that?"

I closed my mouth and looked down at my plate, thinking. "Um, Karma, don't you think that was a little harsh?" Nagisa asked hesitantly, but Karma didn't respond, waiting for me to answer.

"I don't remember them," I answered quietly, twisting my fork silently, "I don't remember anything from before a year ago."

It was quiet for a moment, but Karma broke it, "So, you here to complain about my higher scores on the school-wide exams a month ago?"

Nagisa sweatdropped, and I could feel a tick mark on my forehead. "_Excuse _me? You did not!" I snapped, finally irritated, "The only score you got higher than me was math, and that _so _does not count because I was… ummm… mentally unable to process mathematical equations at that time," I proclaimed, glaring at his smug face with unending anger.

"Oh?" he asked, cocky grin in place, happy to know he irritated me, "What made you so mentally unable, then, _princess?" _he taunted.

My eye twitched again, glare intensifying, "I am not," I growled, "Your princess."

Nagisa was sweat dropping, I was glaring, Karma was smirking, we were a very diversified group. And honestly, I was kind of enjoying being this playful, as I hadn't ever had many friends, when a condescending voice cut in, "Well, I guess I was right about the three of you having a relationship."

I turned mechanically to face Asano, a horrified look upon my face, whilst a smug one graced his. Then, I just got mad, "We are _not _in a relationship, you little, smug, bast-"

Saved by the bell, in the most extreme cases of the idiom. If I had gone on to finish that sentence, it would have been complete and utter social suicide.

Seriously. The fangirls would have eaten me alive.

But luckily, it didn't come to that, and I stayed alive. And from that day on, I sat with Nagisa and Karma.

* * *

When it hit 5:30, I was rushing to get my bag packed just like I was yesterday, changing fast and rushing out the door, quick as lightning. I ran down the streets to the alleyway, but once I got there I paused, thinking. _Did he tell me where to go? Alley or hideout? _

_No. No he didn't. Damn it. _I sighed and looked around for him, before just deciding to make my way to the hideout on my own.

I didn't meet him on the way there, and when I checked my watch it read 6:01, so I just assumed that I was supposed to go to the hideout. I dropped down the trapdoor silently, and three heads turned for eyes to meet mine.

I stared at the three men sitting on the couch in front of me, mouth agape. One of them had a gun in his mouth with drool slipping off of it, one had no weapons and shoulder-length blonde hair, and one was fat. I vaguely remembered the three from the series, but couldn't be sure.

I slowly started to back up, but the gun guy turned his gun on me and I froze, one hand on the railing. I swallowed, "Um, hey, guys. I'll just, uh, go, if you don't mind." Despite my words, I stayed frozen, eyes locked on the gun.

"No you won't. Tell me, what're you doing here?" Blondie asked, cracking his knuckles and drawing my attention to him.

"Erm, well, Lovro-sensei told me to meet him at 6:00 but I wasn't sure if he meant in the alley or here," I said, eyes flickering between the gun barrel and blondie's fists, which looked ready to start swinging to second I made a move to leave.

"I meant the alleyway, but perhaps I should have been more specific," a russian accented voice said behind me, and I turned to see Lovro coming down the stairs.

The gun guy stuck his gun back in his mouth and asked, addressing Lovro, "This is your new kid, Lovro-san?"

Said man sighed, "Yes, but if she freezes like that at a threat, perhaps I should just drop her."

I ticked, "Hey!"

He turned back to me, menacing, and I shrunk back, "Sorry, nothing."

I could see the trio trying not to laugh in the background, and when Lovro turned his back on me I stuck my tongue out at them childishly. There was no visible reaction, but I think I saw the fat guy roll his eyes.

"Well, since the three of you happened to be in town, I was thinking that you could help her learn how to shoot, Gastro-san. I have somewhere I need to be, she's in your hands for now." By the time he finished talking, he was already climbing up the stairs, and my eyes bulged at his words.

"Hey! Don't just leave me in here with a bunch of strangers- I mean, sure, have a nice day!" I hurriedly said when Lovro turned to glare. He sighed and without another world, opened the trapdoor and walked out.

I turned to see the three of them looking at me curiously. "Um… hi?"

The gun guy, or Gastro, stepped forward, "Okay, what's your name, kid?"

"Uhhh, Akari. Just Akari."

"Gastro."

"Grip."

"Smog."

"Right, so you'll need a practice gun," Gastro started, walking over to a wall with guns of different shapes and sizes, selecting one and tossing it to me, "There. Let's start."

Soon, we were shooting and I was getting absolutely exhausted, when it hit 9:00. I panicked, obviously, and rushed over to my phone, calling Taneka quickly. "Uhhh, hey, _oma. _I'm staying over at Haruhi-chan's house tonight."

"But you don't have your bag with you, Akari-chan, you need-"

"I'll drop by early tomorrow morning to get it, I promise," I cut her off, then winced, "Sorry, sorry. Yeah, I promise to drop by tomorrow, and I'll stay at home to tutor Aiko-chan tomorrow. I need to go, though, _oma. _Later!" I hung up and turned back to the trio. "Where were we?"

Grip stepped forward, cracking his knuckles, "I was gonna start teaching you how to fight."

I gulped, "Please don't kill me?" Smog laughed and I shot him a quick glare.

For the next few hours, I was taught basic hand-to-hand moves by Grip, and by the end of it, I was bruised all over. Now, basics for them was way beyond my skills Doesn't matter if he wasn't trying to kill me, that guy got his name for something. I hurt all over. Smog gave me some basics on chemicals and poisoning and they all did some bits and pieces on knife training, and before I knew it, it was already morning and I needed to go pick up my bag.

"Bye, guys. Thanks for the training, hope we can do it again soon!" I waved goodbye to the trio, but they were already asleep on the couches in the corner. Rolling my eyes, I climbed out of the hole and trudged through the city to the orphanage. I was just about to walk through the front door when I paused. _The stairs creak, I should go through a window at the top. _I mulled it over for a minute before making up my mind and circling around the base of the building until I found the side where my room was.

I climbed up, opening the window carefully and tip-toeing to my bed. I changed into my uniform as quickly as I could, shoving my all-black outfit under the bed and my assassin bag under a floorboard. I picked up my backpack up and was about to climb back down the side when a small voice called out through the darkness, "Akari-sensei?"

I paused, one leg out the window, and turned to see Aiko sitting up in bed, staring at me with wide eyes. My eyes softened and I walked over to her bed, "Hey, Aiko-chan. What're you doing up?"

"Why didn't you come back before?" she asked, on the verge of tears, "I wanted to tell you that I got full marks on my math test, but you never came home."

This was when my heart really ached for the girl. She acted haughty and better than any of the other kids here most of the time, but really, she was fragile. Aiko was just lonely, and wanted to prove to the teachers that just because she was an orphan didn't mean that she was stupid or some delicate china doll. I was her tutor, and I wanted to help her more, but I was busy with school and assassination training and I couldn't find the time anymore. "Oh, Aiko-chan. I'm sorry. I've just been really busy lately, but tomorrow I'll help you with your english, mkay?"

She nodded at me, and I kissed her on the forehead before climbing down the side of the building and rushing to school.

The rest of the day was exhausting, and I could barely focus due to my ack of sleep. _I should really get better at time management. _


	5. Christmas Special

**A/N: Merry Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate. I just did a Christmas one because that's what I celebrate, but no matter. Also, I got Tanaka's name confused with Takeda, and I switched between them a bit in the last couple chapters. It's Tanaka, so hopefully I'll remember that from now on. As for the special… honestly, it could have gone better, but I was updating the chapters like crazy so I could get this out today, so there's no way I'm scrapping it. **

**Enjoy!**

**Christmas Special **

I yelped as Aiko jumped on me when I opened the door, "Woah there, girl. Don't hurt Akari-sensei, that'd be bad," I commented cheekily, winking as I shut the door behind me.

"You're back!" she squealed, very much out of character but we'll let it slide for now.

"Of course I am! It's Christmas Eve!" I exclaimed, picking her up and swinging her around as the other kids came and jumped on me too. I didn't manage to stay upright this time, tumbling to the ground. Eichi crawled up to my face, grinning and laughing with his "siblings."

"We were worried you wouldn't make it, what with how late you've been out lately," Hediko said sheepishly. Ayako got up with the others and twiddled her thumbs shyly; the only time she ever shows any personality beyond timidness is when she can poke fun at Aiko. Speaking of Aiko she had jumped up with Arata and they were fighting about something.

"-is too worth it! At least I spend my time doing something worthwhile, other than just kicking a ball around," she was shouting at Arata, who just stuck his tongue out.

"Now now, kids, don't fight, it's Christmas Eve! Play nice," I reprimanded, pulling them apart with a little smile. They all looked down and nodded, giving quiet agreements.

We all shuffled into the kitchen, where Tanaka handed us all hot chocolates with a crinkly smile. The six of us played a lot, until it was finally time to tuck in for the night.

"But I don't wanna sleep!" Arata whined flailing as I tugged him up the stairs.

"Oh, quit being such a baby!" Aiko snapped, but when I gave her a look she shrunk back and headed up the stairs with a quick apology.

"Come on, if you don't go and sleep, Santa Claus won't come!" I reasoned, and he paused, turning to look at me with a hopeful look on his face.

"You really think Santa will come? I've been good enough?"

I smiled warmly, kneeling down to his level, "Of course you have dearie, but he sure won't if you don't get in bed on time, so go get into your pajamas, okay?"

He nodded excitedly and bounded up the stairs. I went to my room to sleep, and once I heard the even breaths of the children around me, I climbed out of bed silently, changing and grabbing the yen I had been saving up recently.

Most people don't cut it this close for Christmas, but with the tight quarters we lived in, I didn't want to risk buying presents any earlier. I jumped out the window, landing on my feet softly and running to the few stores that were still open. I got a soccer ball, a little dollie, a book, a set of blocks, and a sewing kit for the kids. Then for Tanaka, I found some yarn and knitting needles, which seemed stereotypical for old women but she had been saying she wanted one, and a plastic apple with the words _Tutor of the Year _for Ito. Kind of useless, but I was broke and it was the only thing I could afford.

Getting some wrapping paper and a pen, I wrapped them in the street and ran back to the house. Climbing in through the ground floor window, I tip-toed to the tree and hid them underneath, then climbed right back out and up the side of the building to snuggle into bed.

I thought I saw a sleigh with reindeer flying away in the night, but hey, you can never be sure.

* * *

The next morning, I was woken up by an energetic Arata, who was then yelled at to get the hell out of the girls room. I yawned and trudged downstairs with everybody else, sitting by the tree with the kids.

I pretended to squint, looking carefully under the tree, then pointed to the wrapped soccer ball, "Hey Arata-kun, I think that one has your name on it."

The little boy puffed up in excitement, rushing over to where I pointed to pick the ball up, ripping off the paper with a twinkle in his eyes. He screamed in joy at the soccer ball, jumping up and down and running to the play room to play with it, "Thanks Akari-chan!" I heard him shout on his way there. The other kids opened theirs with just as much gusto.

Hediko opened her sewing kit and squealed, glomping me, "Thanks so much Akari-chan, I've been wanting to learn how to sew! You're the best!"

Ayako quietly took her doll and opened it carefully, then came over and bowed in thanks, "Thank you very much, Akari-chan."

Aiko opened her book, shrieking with delight at the title, then covering her mouth, turning red. She glomped me, too, "Thank you Akari-sensei! I wanted this one so bad, thank you thank you thank you!"

Ayako snorted into her hand, previous timid nature forgotten, "Ha, she got you a book? I got a doll, clearly she cares more about _me."_

Aiko ticked and turned to start a screaming match with Ayako, which they did, loudly.

I had to hold Eichi in my lap and open it for him, and he made a lot of baby squeals happily at the blocks. I was almost positive he should have been more expressive, but maybe he was just a late bloomer or something, how the hell should I know?

I handed Ito and Tanaka theirs, and Tanaka just hugged me with a crinkly smile while Ito grinned impishly and ruffled my hair, much to my displeasure.

That night, I snuggled deep into my covers with a small smile. _Best. Christmas. Ever. _


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello my sweets! It's been a while, but I have finally arrived! This one might be a little short, but I don't have the energy to continue. As it is, I barely had enough to perform a half-assed edit on what I **_**do **_**have. Hopefully, it's up to your standards! Oh, and I've decided to stop responding to the reviews by my friendos. Any critiques they make will be related back to me on chat, so no point, really.**

**Enjoy!**

**Day first published: 2/8/20**

**Chapter Five**

It's official.

I hate Karma Akabane.

He's arrogant, conceited, thinks he's better than everybody, beats people up every day, and just thoroughly _pisses me off. _

Let me elaborate.

Winter vacation ended, the third trimester began. All good. I started making friends with other students, pointedly ignoring my classmates in Class A. Also good. I started hanging out with Rio Nakamura, a girl in Class B who's grades were quickly failing. Also good.

Then midterms happened.

I didn't put too much thought into it, considering I was older than all these kids by a long shot and wasn't all that concerned about "living up to the A-Class name." I'd just try to pass, it wasn't like I was going to fail. So I just did a little extra studying on the history of Japan, which was the only thing I was really troubled with, considering I was Canadian before. But besides that, I was fine.

So I took the test, and I got third. In everything except for English. Which was a _bit_ weird, considering for the rest of the year I had been getting second to Asano, but I didn't really question it that much.

Until I saw the rankings.

Karma Akabane had gotten second in everything. Better than me in _everything._ Except for English, which I got first in, but that was my old language, so I wasn't all that surprised.

But Karma had beaten me in _everything. _Not just Math, as he had before, but Math, Science, Social Studies, Home Ec. I had gotten my ass handed to me and I _hated him for it. _

Naturally, once I got to lunch and plopped down next to Rio, he and Nagisa sat down close and he, that little arrogant ass said, "So how's it feel being third, Tanaka-san?"

I felt a vein pop, and I turned to him, smiles and sunshine, and said, "Oh, I can't say I really mind it at all, Akabane-san. After all, it's not like I performed badly, did I?"

"No, but you didn't meet your class's expectations, now did you? Scoring below a D-class nobody, the nerve," he continued with a shit-eating grin.

My eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Well, _they _all performed worse than the "D-class nobody" as well, so if they start to annoy me for it, I'm gonna rip them a new one," I muttered indignantly, starting to shovel food into my face, unaware of the evil aura I was giving off as a result of my untamed anger.

"Um, Akari-chan?" Nagisa asked hesitantly, "Are-are you okay?"

I gave him a big, happy smile (read: evil grin) and said, "Why, whatever do you mean, Nagisa-kun?"

They all sweatdropped at the sight of my wrath, and I chuckled darkly. This time, instead of sweat dropping, they all recoiled, eyes wide and somewhat terrified. (Except for Karma, of course.)

"Well okay then," Rio muttered, turning to her own food shakily and beginning to eat. I smirked and looked back down at my plate. As I continued to eat, I pondered on how best to murder Karma Akabane, unaware of the wide berth people were giving me because of my anger.

* * *

Later that night, clad in black, I snuck through the alleyways of Tokyo, worries of the real world forgotten. That's what happened when I went out for my assassination lessons. I discarded mundane issues and focused solely on the important things; how to aim a pistol, the best ways to slash at a person in order for them to be eliminated, martial arts. Things like that.

I finally reached the trapdoor and flipped it open, slipping down the stairs. Once I got to the bottom, I stopped creeping and pulled off my leather jacket before going to wait for my instructers, whoever they were.

Ever since Smog, Grip, and Gastro had given me that one lesson, they had been coming here whenever they happened to be in Japan, which was more often than I thought was necessary. I wasn't entirely sure, but I think they came to the country a lot more so they could teach me. Not that I know anything.

Dropping my jacket off on the couches, I pulled my hair up into a ponytail, slipped my gloves on, and started shooting with one of the practice guns. My aim was steadily getting better, I noticed, as I hit within the target way more often than before. In fact, after a few minutes, there were more than a few holes in the bullseye.

Breathing hard, I put the gun back down on the rack and picked out a snipers' rifle. I messed with the bolt a bit before taking aim and-

"What have I said about using those without supervision?" I squealed and flipped around, hiding the gun behind my back with little success.

"H-hello, Lovro-sensei. How was Italy?" I questioned nervously, inching my way to the rack so I could put the rifle back down.

Completely ignoring my question, he stalked up to me and ripped the rifle from my hands, placing it on the gun rack. "Do not attempt to use the rifle's alone. You are not skilled enough yet to do so. You'll shoot your eye out."

I nodded quickly, "Yes, sensei."

"A little skittish, isn't she?" I heard a voice come from the stairs, and when I turned I saw a busty blonde woman with blue eyes and a _much _too revealing outfit. _Irina Jelavic, _my limited memory helpfully supplied, and I gaped.

"Yes, she can be a bit nervous, but she is quickly improving," Lovro replied, turning to the woman, "Akari-kun, this is Irina Jelavic. She will tutor you today on language and acting ability. And you are banned from the rifles until further notice. I will inform Gastro." My head snapped to his and I pouted, but didn't protest. (Because seriously, that man was scary.)

"Yes sensei," I muttered under my breath.

"I have to be going now. Pay attention to what she teaches you for once, Akari-kun," and thus, he left. Once he had left, I started muttering.

"'For once,' he says. 'Pay attention,' he says. Oh, like I don't do that already."

"Be careful what you say, brat," Irina said, and I started, looking up at her, having forgotten she was there. "He's got a temper."

I thought back to the malicious look he gave me when I tried to talk back and shivered, "Yeah, I know."

"Right then, brat!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands, "Chop chop! We're starting with English."

I blinked at her and said, in perfect English, "_Yes, Miss Jelavic. Can we do French afterward? I've always wanted to be fluent, I just never had the time." _

Her eyes narrowed, and she replied as if she was testing me, "_How long have you known the language?" _

"_Couldn't say. So, how about French?" _

Irina sighed in defeat and nodded, "Alright, French it is. Repeat after me. _Bonjour, Je m'appelle."_

"_Bonjour, Je m'appelle,"_ I repeated.

"Add your name onto the end. _Bonjour, Je m'appelle Irina." _

"_Bonjour, Je m'appelle Akari." _

"Good. Now, that's how you introduce yourself. As for grammar, in order to pluralize most nouns just…" We moved to the leather couches and she began giving me basic lessons on French. Before I knew it, I was heading back out the door to tutor Aiko and do my homework.

Since Christmas, I had gotten much better at time management. I went to the hideout three times a week, and during the weekends, and tutored Aiko whenever I had the chance. The two days I didn't go were used doing as much homework I could to put off doing it the next day after lessons. But even doing that, there was still a ton I had to do after coming home.

So, naturally, the second I finished as much as possible I collapsed into bed face-first.

* * *

The next day, I sat with A-Class.

I didn't feel like dealing with Karma. I could feel Rio's betrayed gaze on my back but ignored it. I didn't have time.

The only people who sat with me during the few days I was with A-Class was Asano and his minions. They actually treated me similarly to how they treated him, most likely because I scored higher than all of them except for him. Excluding English; I was an English goddess at this school.

I literally would not be surprised if they started calling me that.

Though, because I was so good at English, the playboy I seemed to remember being a part of their group was ignored to some degree. He still sat there, but he really didn't say much.

"Finally decided to abandon the scum, Tanaka-san," the devil asked, sitting down next to me with a smug smirk.

I rolled my eyes and set my chin down on my hand, "I don't know what you mean, Asano-san."

"You're not sitting with the peasants."

I ticked and glared at him. The entirety of A-Class flinched back looking down and pretending not to pay attention. Everybody knew of our little… _rivalry, _let's call it. Even the lower classes were aware because I was sitting with them so often lately. It was a school-wide phenomenon.

"They aren't peasants," I shot back, "If you recall, Akabane-san was second only to you in nearly every subject." I winced at the thought of using Karma's achievements to prove my point, but no matter how much he pissed me off, Asano pissed me off more.

He just smirked at me, "Yes, well, that is _your _failure, not ours. You should not have let him claim your spot on the lineup, and thus, you are at fault."

"So is my first-place standing in English your own failure then? My my, how dare the school's _king _be unseated by such a lowly _commoner _such as myself," I shot back. A-Class sucked in a breath and retreated further into their feigned ignorance.

"You should not have attempted to unseat me."

"Neither should've Akabane-san and yet, here we are."

"It was your responsibility to maintain your average-"

"And it was yours to keep me from your spot, so really it's not-"

"Well, scum such as yourself should not be attempting to-"

"Scum? I am a member of A-Class like you are, Asano-san, so I suggest you-"

"You referred to yourself as a commoner earlier-"

"A commoner, not scum! How dare you-"

We were yelling by this point, and the entire lunchroom had joined A-Class in their retreated faces. You couldn't see half of their faces because they were looking so far down.

Oh, the drama that is my life.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: What was that? It's been over a month since I last updated? Pshh, I don't know what you're talking about. (sorry)**

**Enjoy~!**

**Day first published: 3/15/20**

**Warning: Death, murder, homicide, whatever you want to call it. If you don't like people being shot in the head, please leave. (Though I question why you even watch a show with Assassin in it's title, but whatever)**

**Chapter 6**

I beat both of their asses in the third trimester's finals.

_Boo-yah. _

First in everything. Take that, ya bitches.

Ahem.

So. The third trimester had come to a close, and during the finals I scored highest in _everything _except Math, which was claimed by Asano and Karma, who tied. I have to admit, that felt good. Really good.

Second year had begun, and we were halfway through the second trimester when Irina dropped the big news.

"Put this on, brat. You're coming with me." She threw a tight-fitted dress onto the coffee table and a makeup bag.

I blinked at the items and turned to her, confused, "Um… why?"

"I already told you. You're coming with me. On a job." My heart stopped at that moment, and reality came crashing down. I was training to be an _assassin, _of course they would bring me on a job at some point. That just… hadn't sunk in yet.

"R-right." I picked up the dress and bag with shaking fingers and trudged into the room in the back. Slipping off the black outfit, I slid into the dress, the material flush against my skin. After spending almost two years in this world, my body had matured some, and I could pass for somebody a few years older with just a little work.

I leaned forward into the mirror, carefully applying the makeup in the bag. Irina had taught me everything about disguise, so this was simple to me. Soon enough, I was slipping on the two-inch heels and walking out of the room, glammed up.

Irina turned to me and inspected my handiwork, looking closely to make sure I could pass. She nodded after a moment. "It'll do. Come on, we need to hurry. There's a limo waiting a little ways away."

I followed after her, walking smoothly in the heels. Learning to deal with the hellish contraptions had been… well, hellish, but I managed.

After a few minutes of walking, we came across a sleek black car. The doorman opened it with a bow, and the two of us entered. I swallowed once I was in the back, trying not to fidget.

"Our target is a man by the name of Akira Takahashi. He owns one of the biggest black market trading organizations in the country. Pretty minor worldwide, but still a big thing. I'm Ichika Yua, a representative from a company that deals in black market gun dealership. You're my niece, Sakura Yua. This is a friendly get together, no real business takes place other than random updates on how other black market dealings are going. Act sweet; you don't understand what's happening or that this is truly illegal. Your character is naive, and everybody wants to keep it that way because you're so loveable, even to such lowly characters. Understood?"

I nodded shakily, trying to still my trembling palms. It was obvious that I failed, though, because her expression softened ever so slightly, "Look, kid. It's okay to be nervous. You're on a murder mission; nobody expects you to have perfect composure. Lovro-sensei seems to think you have potential, and frankly, I agree. Just keep your cool and stay in character. If, when it's time for you to take the shot, you can't do it, I'll be there to do it for you. Okay?"

I was quiet for a moment, looking down at my open palms, before looking up at her, determination etched into my face. "Okay!"

Her lips curled into a smile, "Good. Now, here's the plan."

It was simple, really. Little room for error, and not that big of a role on my part. Other than pulling the trigger, of course. The client wanted both Akira Takahashi and his son, Akio, dead, but Tanaka was the priority. If everything went according to plan, Irina would seduce Tanaka and I would pull in Akio. Both of us would lead them upstairs, though on my part, I'd make him think he was doing the leading, and we'd do it there. Simple. Clean. Effective. There was backup in case something went wrong, and Irina would get Akio if I clammed up and couldn't pull the trigger.

My main goal was also to make sure nobody saw my face. It was a masquerade, which was convenient, but I also had heavy makeup on underneath to make sure nobody would recognize me if I was seen on the streets. That would screw my life over for sure.

Finally, we made it to the building where the party was being held, and after making sure my mask was on tight, we entered the building.

Looking around at all the masked people, I swallowed and trudged forward through the mess of people, staying close to Irina. Slowly I calmed down, and mingled alongside her. But after about fifteen minutes of idle chatter with random people, I spotted Aiko and Akira lingering at the side, champagne glasses in hand. I tugged on her sleeve, making myself seem bashful, and pointed at the boy. I leaned in to whisper no-so-quietly in her ear.

"Oba-san, look at that boy! Can we go talk to him, pretty please?" My eyes sparkled, and I made my eyes beg. She turned to look at him, a smirk pulling at her lips.

"Alright, darling. We can go talk to them. Sorry, boys, but my niece has someone in her sights. Let's go, darling." I bowed and apologized before running after her, a fake grin on my face.

We stopped in front of the two, and I forced my cheeks to go red as Irina introduced herself. "You're Takahashi-sama, right? Oh, I've heard so much about your business! I love it, what you do is just amazing! Can you tell me more?" And off she went.

I turned to Aiko, my cheeks turning redder, "H-hello, Takahashi-sama - I-I mean, Takahashi-san! I-I didn't mean to - um…" I turned my head away, well aware of the smirk on his lips from my "slip up."

"Aiko's fine, you're a pretty lady, I don't mind. So what's your name?" Irina was leading Tanaka away towards the champagne to get some more for the both of them.

"M-my name is Sakura Yua, Aiko-sama. I-It's a pleasure to meet you!" We spent the next 30 minutes or so with idle chatter, me pretending to be infatuated and him thoroughly enjoying the attention.

After a half hour had passed, we both noticed Irina leading Akira away, a flirtatious grin set in her face. I noticed Aiko frowning and turned to him, "What's wrong, Aiko-sama?"

"Your Oba-san. She's so… fake."

My lips twitched. _An opening. If I play this right, I'll have him hooked. _"She always does that with men she likes. Then they go upstairs and do something. She's never told me what. Oba-san says that she needs to keep me innocent, but I don't like not knowing." I looked down with a tiny frown, acting disappointed.

Meanwhile, he was almost grinning, "So, you really want to find out what they do up there?" His voice made my skin crawl, and I fought the urge to cringe.

"Yeah, but Oba-san won't tell me, so…"

He took my chin and forced my face up, leaning in to talk in my ear, "How about I show you?" I had to shake away the urge to shiver and pull away from him. _So creepy! _

"Really? You know?"

His smile was predatorial now, "Yeah. Come upstairs with me, let's have some fun."

I let him lead me to the staircase and up the steps, following him through the large building. After walking for a few minutes, I noticed we were around the spot where I was supposed to meet Irina and stopped him.

"Aiko-sama, where are we going? I don't get it, what's this supposed to be?" He stopped and turned to me, eyes filled with lust.

"You wanted to know what they did, right? Well," he slammed me against the wall, grinning down at me, "I can show you."

I pursed my lips, trying to think of what to do. I _was _just going to wait for Irina to find us, but now…

His head lowered to my neck and I made my decision immediately, "Alright, buster, that's it. You're done." I kicked him and spun him around, knocking his head against the wall. Just as I did that, Irina came up the hallway.

"There you are, I've been looking all over. Here," she threw me the handgun, "You remember what to do, right?"

I swallowed, nodded, and walked backwards just slightly. I aimed the barrel right towards his forehead, but froze. He wasn't unconscious, and his eyes were staring right into mine. My heart pounded in my ears and I rested my finger on the trigger. My hands were steady, but I just couldn't pull the trigger.

"Hey, kid, if you don't think you can do it, that's fine," I heard Irina say, but no. I couldn't just let her do that. I needed to progress. I wouldn't be dead weight.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I brought my finger against the trigger and heard the _bang. _Opening my eyes, I saw his eyes, still open. Staring. _Dead. _

I shook. _I just killed someone. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. _For a moment, I just stood there, staring, but Irina pulled me out of it.

"C'mon, kid. We've gotta go. I can have the guys clean up the bodies, we need to get you home." Her voice was soft, understanding. I stood there for a moment, unmoving, before finally lowering the gun and walking towards her, silent.

* * *

We got back to the base in about ten minutes, and I changed in five. Soon, I was ready to go home. Perfectly ready, except…

I just couldn't. I couldn't face my family after what I'd just done. I'd just _killed _someone. Their blood was on my hands. There was no coming back from that. I was a murderer.

I stood at the bathroom door, not saying anything, not doing anything. After a moment, Irina came up to me and led me to the couch, rubbing my shoulder in a surprisingly motherly gesture. "I know, kid, but you gotta go home. You've got a life, don't just throw that away."

I looked at the clock on the wall. _2:30 AM. _I couldn't exactly go home at this hour. "C-could I maybe… stay here tonight?"

She nodded with a sigh. "Are you going to sleep here? Or do some training?"

After a moment of thinking, I got up and grabbed a rifle, aiming for the target and shooting.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Reload.

Shoot.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Irina gave me some pointers, while I stayed quiet, silently correcting my form and aim again and again. Finally, after hours of just shooting, the trapdoor opened.

"You're still here, child? I would have thought you'd have gone home by now." I stayed quiet, popping open the gun and reloading it before shooting again.

"She hasn't spoken in hours. She's just shooting," Irina said, getting up from her place on the couch to speak with Lovro quietly.

After a moment or hearing nothing but whispers, Lovro spoke up. "You're going on another one next week. Get yourself together before then. I know it's hard, but you're going to need to pick yourself up from this soon." I nodded mutely, putting down the rifle and grabbing my bag. Without saying anything, I opened the trapdoor and trudged up the stairs, making my way home in the morning light.

When I got there, I snuck in through the window as usual and barely had enough time to change before I passed out on my bed.

Nightmares haunted me. Aiko's eyes, wide and terrified with a gun in his face, before they went out. Over and over again, I saw him die. When I finally woke up, I felt as if I had never rested to begin with.

"Are you alright, Akari, dear?" Tanaka asked worriedly, searching my tired face to try and figure out what was wrong.

I was quiet for a moment before I looked up and gave a big (fake) grin, "Just fine, _oma." _I just didn't sleep very well.

And life went on.


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry this one's short, but I wanted to get this one out and I liked how it concluded.**

**Enjoy!**

**Day first published: 6/9/20 (sheesh, it's been a while. sorry.)**

**Chapter 7**

Because of what happened over the weekend, at school I was in a daze. Karma and Asano left me alone, most likely because I looked hellish.

I had barely gotten any sleep the night previous and couldn't stop thinking about Aiko's _eyes. _More than that, whenever I talked to Aiko, _my _Aiko, I thought about that _boy. _It hurt. So much. I had taken a human _life. _

After school ended, I made a beeline for the underground base. I opened the trapdoor silently and slipped down the stairs, closing the door quietly as I went.

"There was no lesson for today," Lovro's accented voice cut through the air, and I stiffened but turned around anyway.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, "Should I go?"

He searched my expression before sighing, "No. Sit," he gestured for the couch, and I walked over sluggishly, trying to look upbeat. "And stop pretending to be happy. I'm not stupid."

I winced and nodded, dropping the smile and sitting on the couch silently. "So… what did you need?"

Lovro sighed, "I understand that this is difficult for you, my dear, but that is important. So, I want to take this time to ask you, Akari: are you sure you wish to continue?"

I blinked in surprise and looked up at him, trying to figure out what he meant. "W-well, yeah, I thought-"

"Your struggle with the kill was expected, and none of us are surprised by your reaction. A human's aversion to murder is not to be taken lightly; most cannot handle taking another life. So, now that you have felt the guilt of taking a life, I must ask you if you wish to continue your assassination training. If you do decide to back out now, you must understand that you will be heavily monitored at all times from here on in."

Nodding at that, as it was to be expected, I thought about his proposition. It was doubtful that he would ask me again; I would most likely not be given another chance to reconsider from now on.

I didn't like the feeling of Aiko's death. I hated that I had killed him, willingly taking his life. In all honesty, I never wanted to feel that again.

But… I was here. I needed training. And though I hadn't exactly expected to be told to kill at such a young age, it was necessary.

So, I looked up at my teacher, determination etched onto my face, "I can keep going."

He nodded, opening his mouth to speak, but before he could, a childish woman's voice cut in, "Good on you, girlie!" Irina jumped in and glomped me, squishing my face into her chest, "I gotta say, I was impressed at how you reacted the other day! Way toned down for someone of your age, and-"

"Irina." We both froze at his cold voice, and Irina immediately let me go and sat at attention right next to me, sweating in fear. "Anyway, Akari. As of today, you are officially my apprentice. Your instructors will continue to be Irina, Grip, Gastro, Smog, and your newest teacher, who you will meet tomorrow. You can continue to attend your school and have a double life from now on if you wish, but if at any point you decide to become a full-time assassin we will pull you out."

I swallowed and nodded, "R-right."

Irina poked me in the cheek harshly, "Stop being so timid!"

"She didn't act timid on the job, did she?" Lovro questioned, raising a brow.

"No, actually. She acted just like I told her to. I was actually kind of surprised," Irina responded, turning to him.

He nodded in approval, "Then if she acts as skittish as she does now when not acting, I suppose it should be fine. Continue with her training for today, I'll contact Red Eye to see-"

"No need," a voice came from the stairway, and we all looked over to reveal a blonde man in yellow goggles coming down the steps. "I came early, finished my last job too quickly. So who's the brat I'll be teaching?"

Irina pinched both of my cheeks and stretched them, "This little cutie!"

Red Eye looked at me, eyes searching, before nodding and heading to the rifles, "Which ones do you know how to use?"

I pointed to the ones I could use, unable to speak properly due to Irina's goofing. "Don't ignore me!" she exclaimed, letting go of my cheeks to wave her arms around indignantly.

"Irina." Lovro stood as Irina's gaze turned to him, "We're leaving now."

"Yes sir," she muttered, moving to leave before she seemed to remember something, "Oh! Right." Turning to me, she pulled a wad of cash out of her purse, "Your portion of the reward. Don't spend it all at once, kid. You might want to save it."

I took the cash and put it in the bag, "I know. I've actually been thinking of getting a job, so people know where these random stashes of money are coming from. Or some of it, at least."

"That could be smart, but make sure that it does not interfere with your training."

I nodded at him, "Yes, Lovro-sensei."

The pair left and I turned to Red Eye, who had taken out the guns that I couldn't use and beckoned me over. "Here. I'm going to teach you how to use each of these. Once I'm sure you know the basics, we'll move onto the rest of them and build your proficiency. I don't know how often, if ever again, we'll be seeing each other, so I'm going to try and fit as much as I can into this lesson."

I nodded, "Got it." And I was taught.

"Your stance is wrong," he said gruffly, correcting my position so my legs were farther apart and my weight was further back. "You need to make sure that…" A ten minute lecture later, I properly understood everything about this gun and I felt like I knew nothing about the others. _Great. _

"I should probably get going now, Red Eye-sensei," I said, lowering the gun and checking the time. Yep, way too late.

"I'll be here again tomorrow for another lesson. Come straight after school."

I hesitated, "Actually, I don't usually come here on Tuesdays, so I got a job then. Could we do this on Wednesday?" I was honestly scared he would lash out, but he just nodded.

"Okay then, Wednesday. Right after school. Don't be late." He shouldered his bag and walked out of the trapdoor.

_He was more cooperative than I thought he'd be, _I mused, shouldering my own bag and shoving my way up, steps light as I walked home.

I was so distracted thinking on what had happened in the last few days, that I didn't notice Karma having a fight in the alley to my right until he was done and approaching me. Too late to sneak away.

"Oh hey, Tanaka-san. What's got you out so late?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at my choice of clothes. I was frozen, unsure of what to do.

Eventually, I just relaxed and BS-ed my way through it. "Just visiting a friend, is all. Who'd you beat up this time?" _Avoid the question, nice. _

"They're buddies of the guys from the last time, remember? Took them a while to retaliate. Kept asking about my pink-haired girlfriend who tried to knock their friend on his ass."

I felt my face heat up against my will, "Your pink-haired what?"

"Girlfriend. What, did you lose your hearing or something?" he teased in his Karma voice. Which was his normal voice.

I was quiet but ultimately didn't say anything, "In any case, I should get going right about now."

"I'll come with you."

I stopped short and turned to him, "No, no you won't. Go away."

"What kind of gentleman would I be if I let a young lady walk herself home at this hour?" he said mockingly, before walking ahead and holding out a hand. "After you."

I felt a vein pop but couldn't really do anything about him. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Instead, I walked the rest of the way to the orphanage without saying a word and letting him follow.

When we made it to the building, I raised an eyebrow at him and made a shooing motion, before walking up the stairs and unlocking the door. I was well aware that he hadn't left, but chose to ignore it in lieu of surviving the bullets shooting at me.

My five little siblings who _really _needed to break this habit knocked me on my ass on the steps before finally getting up. "You really need to stop doing that," I said fondly, and they all grinned at me, but I noticed that Ayako was, very noticeably, not looking at me. She was looking behind me with a red hue on her face.

_Oh no. _

I turned to see what she was looking at.

_Oh no. _

"Akari-chan?" she said in a small voice, grabbing my hand and hiding from the boy she had, evidently, just developed a crush on.

_Oh no. _

"Who's he?" her face got even redder, if that was possible, and she pointed to Karma. He, being the little shit he was, smiled at her and _winked. _

_He winked at my little sister and walked off. _

"Somebody you should avoid at all costs," I said firmly, shuffling them all inside.

"What's his name? Do you know him? What's he like?" she questioned, eyes wide and staring into mine.

"Uh, he's Karma Akabane, I hate his guts, and he's the worst person you will ever meet."

"Is he nice?"

"What did I _just _say?"

And thus, for the rest of the year Ayako spoke of nothing but her new obsession. Karma Akabane had ruined my life even further.

_Hooray. _


End file.
